Generational reckoning

Grijalva drops bid for top panel spot as House Dems confront generational reckoning

The Arizona Democrat said he no longer intends to lead his party on the Natural Resources Committee, with a younger opponent launching a bid last month. Other Democrats are facing similar challengers.

By Nicholas Wu and Daniella Diaz

Rep. Raúl Grijalva has dropped out of the race for the top Democratic spot on the Natural Resources Committee, according to two people familiar with the matter, potentially averting a generational clash over the leadership position.

Grijalva (D-Ariz.), who’d been absent from Congress while going through treatment for cancer, had faced a challenge from Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), as House Democrats weigh whether to cast aside some of their most senior committee leaders. Huffman had launched a bid to be the top Democrat on the panel at the end of November, and as late as last week, had insisted he could still win.

The 76-year-old Arizona lawmaker is the first Democratic committee head to announce he’d step down from his spot on the panel after this Congress as the party reckons with generational divides and an intraparty fight over committee leadership in the aftermath of the presidential election. The caucus typically strictly adheres to seniority guidelines in selecting panel leaders and doesn't have term limits, leading to long tenures for certain members atop committees. Younger lawmakers have newly bristled at some of those senior leaders, believing new heads would be more effective — an echo of the issues that kicked Joe Biden off the ticket earlier this year.

Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.) has also grappled with health problems and faced internal maneuvers to sideline the 79-year-old as the top Democrat on the Agriculture Committee. He's facing a competitive race against two lawmakers, Reps. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) and Jim Costa (D-Calif.). And as some Democrats wonder about Rep. Jerry Nadler’s (D-N.Y.) ability to stand up to President-elect Donald Trump as the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, some in the caucus have pushed Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) to run against him.

House Democrats’ steering and policy committee will hold secret ballot elections to recommend panel leaders to the full caucus in the coming weeks. That panel has not yet been formed, and membership is expected to be decided as soon as this week. The panel will then begin the process of assigning committee slots.

Grijalva cited his health challenges in his decision to step aside, writing in a letter to his colleagues that he felt it was the “right moment to pass the torch.”

“I will continue to focus on improving my health, strengthening my mobility, and serving my district in what is likely to be a time of unprecedented challenge for our community,” he wrote in the letter.

Grijalva had been largely absent from Congress due to his health. He returned the week before Thanksgiving recess, when he was present for Democratic leadership elections. He’s also said he intends to retire from Congress after next term.

Huffman, in a statement released after Grijalva said he'd step aside, thanked him for his service atop the panel, and said that if he were elected ranking member of the panel, "I will ask the Caucus to name [Grijalva] Ranking Member Emeritus in recognition of his distinguished career and the enduring importance of his leadership.”